ANTHRAXOne of the most important responsibilities a Secretary of Defense has is to make sure the United States' military members are protected as much as possible from any type of harm. Since the cease-fire of the Gulf War, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have discovered that anthrax has become the number one biological threat to our troops. With finding this information, the Secretary of Defense, William S. Cohen, has decided to ensure that each military member is protected from anthrax with its vaccine. Senior military leaders are accepting nothing less than total acceptance for the anthrax vaccine. The reason is that military members have been refusing to take the vaccine due to unsubstantiated reports popping up on various Internet sites. These sites have been claiming that the anthrax vaccine is "experimental" and will cause harm if taken. However, the senior military leaders also have been doing what they can to properly educate their members about the anthrax vaccine. Anything less than total acceptance of the anthrax vaccine is not permissible.

ALIFF-SANCHEZ 2Anthrax is an infectious disease which is caused by the spore forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax can be deadly if the symptoms haven't been caught in time for treatment. Anthrax infection can occur in three forms: cutaneous (skin), inhalation, and gastrointestinal. B.Anthracis spores can live in the soil for many years and humans can be infected with anthrax by handling animal products from infected animals or by inhaling anthrax spores from contaminated animal products. Eating uncooked meat from infected animals can also spread anthrax. Anthrax can also be spread by biological warfare. Any country that has biological warfare capability can use anthrax on its warheads to spread anthrax (FAQs1). Since the threat of anthrax has been discovered, the Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended that all members of the military receive mandatory vaccinations against this disease. However,...

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...Anthrax is an infectious disease and it is caused by Bacillus anthracis. It is also called Splenic Fever, or Charbon. There are three types of Anthrax, there is cutaneous (anthrax of the skin,) inhalation anthrax, and gastrointestinal anthrax. Anthrax is a large, rod shaped bacterium. It mostly affects animals but also can be transmitted to humans.
Anthrax’s first incident was in 1500 B.C. in the early writings of Mesopotamia and the Book of Genesis. The Old Testament description of the 5th and 6th Egyptian plagues showed the average symptoms of anthrax. In 1876, an epidemic of farm animals with anthrax influenced Robert Koch to search for a cause. He experimented with mice, and found results like anthrax. His experiments were a major step towards formulating the postulates of causation of infectious diseases which now bears his name. Louis Pasteur was not convinced that Koch did a good job at proving that Bacillus Anthracis causes anthrax. So in 1880, Pasteur vaccinated two different groups of cattle with a Bacillus anthracis strain. One group was treated with his vaccine while the other group was not. All the vaccinated animals survived and the others died, Pasteur then had proof that Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax.
There is a little known 1770 epidemic that killed 15,000 people in Saint-Domingue, now...

...AnthraxAnthrax is a life-threatening infectious disease that originated in Egypt and normally affects animals; such as goats, cattle, sheep, and horses. Anthrax can be transmitted to humans by contact with an infected animal or their products. Over the years anthrax has received a great deal of attention as biologists have discovered that it can also be spread by a bioterrorist attack or as chemical warfare. Anthrax is not one of the diseases that spread from person to person. As of today, there are three known types of ways anthrax can infect a human.
The most common way is infection through the skin. This causes an ugly sore that usually goes away without treatment. This is also known as cutaneous. Cutaneous form of anthrax starts as a red-brown raised spot that enlarges with a tint of redness around it, then results in blistering and hardening. The center of the spot then shows an ulcer crater with blood-tinged drainage and the formation of a black crust called an Escher. Also there will be swollen lymph nodes in this area. Some symptoms include muscle aches and pain, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. The illness usually goes away in about six weeks, but death may occur if you are not prescribed appropriate antibiotics.
Another way is through inhalation of anthrax. Inhalation anthrax is a very serious disease, and unfortunately, most...

...The use of anthrax to inflict harm signifies a great potential danger to emergency responders who already risk their lives working in hazardous environments. The threat of anthrax as a weapon is a real possibility and historical precedent buttresses the reality of this threat. The Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo sprayed aerosols containing anthrax in attacks on Tokyo in 1993. A more recent incident within the United States was the mailing of letters containing anthrax in 2001. The attacks in Japan produced zero casualties, while 5 died in the US attacks and 17 others were infected.
Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. There are three modes of transmission for anthrax: cutaneous, gastro-intestinal, and inhalational. Cutaneous anthrax enters the body through a cut or sore on the skin. It can be recognized by a bump resembling a bug bite, which often develops into an ulcer with a black center , and which may be associated with swelling in the lymph glands. Gastro-intestinal anthrax may be contracted from eating raw or undercooked animal meat. Symptoms include nausea, fever, swollen neck, and bloody diarrhea in later stages. Inhalation anthrax is the result of breathing in anthrax spores. Early symptoms include flu-like symptoms or mild chest discomfort. Later symptoms may include the sudden development...

...considered biological weapons. These agents are capable of causing sickness or death in humans or animals, destroying crops, or contaminating water supplies. Various bacteria have been used or experimented with as biological weapons. Anthrax is one of the most serious of these diseases. Anthrax is an infectious disease that can be passed from cattle and sheep to humans. Inhaling anthrax spores can result in a deadly form of pneumonia. During World War II (1939–45), Japan and Great Britain built and tested biological weapons carrying anthrax spores, and the inhalation of anthrax may still be a threat as a biological weapon today.
Anthrax is one of the oldest recorded diseases of grazing animals such as sheep and cattle. Anthrax can be traced back to Exodus when God placed the ten plagues upon the Egyptians, as a result of Pharaoh's refusal to free the Jews from slavery. The name anthrax comes from anthrakitis, the Greek word for anthracite (coal), in reference to the black skin lesions victims develop in a cutaneous skin infection. Anthrax is caused by the bacteria B anthracis. These are rod-shaped germs that can change from "normal" bacteria into spores (or single-celled seeds that can reproduce the bacteria). The preferred way to treat anthrax is with antibiotics. The goal of antibiotics is to destroy the infection and prevent...

...﻿Preston
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Anthrax is a infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in livestock, but it can also occur in humans when they are exposed to infected animals or to tissue from infected animals or when anthrax spores are used as a bioterrorist weapon.Anthrax is most common in agricultural regions where it occurs in animals. Although anthrax can be found globally, it is more often a risk in countries with less s98\standardized and effective public health and animal health programs. Areas currently listed as high-risk are South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. When anthrax affects humans, it is usually due to a workspace exposure to infected animals or their products. Workers who are exposed to dead animals and animal products (industrial anthrax) from other countries where anthrax is more common may become infected with anthracis. Anthrax in animals rarely occurs in the United States because of that human anthrax is rare in the US.Anthrax infection can occur in three forms: cutaneous (skin), inhalation, and gastrointestinal. Spores of the bacterium B. anthracis can live in the soil for many years, and livestock can become infected by grazing on contaminated pasture. Humans can become infected with...

...Anthrax Essay
AnthraxAnthrax[1] is an acute infectious disease that came into the limelight recently due to the Anthrax Attacks in the United States in the weeks following the September 2001 terror attacks, causing widespread panic. This report on Anthrax includes information on how the disease is caused, types of Anthrax, symptoms of the disease and its treatment. It also includes information on the 2001 Anthrax attacks in the US and why anthrax is a good bioterrorism agent.
How is Anthrax Caused?
Anthrax is caused by the bacterium[2] ‘Bacillus anthracis’ that is highly lethal in its virulent form. Anthrax most commonly occurs in wild and domestic animals, but it can also occur in humans when they are exposed to infected animals, tissue from infected animals, or high concentrations of anthrax spores.[3]
Bacillus Anthracis
Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium which causes anthrax, is rod-shaped and about 1 by 6 micrometres in size. It was the first bacterium ever to be shown to cause disease by Robert Koch[4] in 1877. The bacteria normally rest in spore form in the soil, and can survive for decades in this state. When ingested by a plant eating animal, the bacteria starts to multiply and eventually kills the animal. They even continue to reproduce in the carcass but...

...United States, not only is the nuclear threat higher than ever but also a biological warfare threat. With lethal bacteria such as Anthrax or Tularemia being used as a primary threat in today’s century, what shall the United States do to prepare for the possibility of a biological attack? In order for the United States to be prepared for a terrorists attack with biological usage, they shall take the necessary precautions in order to protect their country from a possible microorganism battle. By taking exclusive precautions such as testing the effects of certain bacteria, the United States can be well prepared and possible prevent a biological warfare.
When observing the usage of biological weapons used in terrorism or against other countries, bacteria attacks first documented go back to the 600 BC era where “Solon uses the purgative herb hellebore during the siege of Krissa”. (Source E) Clearly even thousands of years ago humans were aware of the effects of diseases and came to conclusions that they can in fact be used as weapons. Since biotechnology and biochemistry have now evolved, scientists are able to create dangerous and more resistant bacteria that can be more deadly and difficult to fight. This can be a serious and deadly potential if used in a harmful way such as biological attacks which can devastate thousands of humans and animals. Anthrax in 20 km reach can potentially kill 95,000 and incapacitate 125,000 humans. (Source F)...

...Dobrinka Atanasova
AnthraxAnthrax is acute infectious disease that affects humans and other mammals. The causative agent of Anthrax is Bacillus anthracis. Bacillus anthrasic is a rod-shaped bacterium that forms spores (3). As we know, spores can survive many, many years in harsh conditions. Furthermore, the bacterium is also Gram-positive, encapsulated and aerobic (2).
Anthrax can enter and affect the body via the skin, the lungs or gastrointestinal tract. The first one, the skin, is the least deadly. The anthrax spores penetrate the skin by using small cuts and scratches. After that they grow into toxin-producing bacteria that strike the surrounding tissue, causing swelling, than fluid-blisters and last black, ulcerous lesion. The Immune cells can carry the microbes to the lymph nodes, where they multiply and then spread via the bloodstream to other organs in the body (1). The second and most deadly route of entry is by inhaling airborne spores in the lungs. The spores settle in the alveoli of the lungs and can take up to 60 days until it start to germinate. The symptoms are flulike in the beginning, but then they evolve into fever, chest pain, problems with breathing, shock, coma, and at the end death. Again, the way the microbes are transported is via the Immune cells, to the lymph nodes, and from there to the bloodstream (1). The third way of anthrax entry into the body is through...